Thermostatically operative valve



MarchZZ, 1932. A. T. SPONAR I THERMOSTATICALLY OPERATIVE VALVE Filed Jan. 10. 1930 v //V) [/V7 0/- ALOYSIUS 75 0/1072, 5

Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALOYSIUS T. SIONAR, OF CONSHOHOCKEN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO JOHN WOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CONSHOHOCKEN, PENN SYLVAN IA, A CORPORATION v OF PENNSYLVANIA THERMOSTATICALLY OPERATIVE VALVE Application filed January 10, 1930. Serial No. 419,823.

My invention is adapted to be used in conjunction with gas water heaters, particularly of the ty e disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,715,040 granted May 28, 1929, to Victor Mauck, wherein the water is exposed to the heated products of combustion in a container of cellularstructure characterized by an extremely large surface area for interchange ofheat, as compared w1th the volume of water in the container. It is characteristic of such heaters that at the beginning of the operation thereof, when the water is cold, there is considerable condensation of moisture, from the products of combustion, upon the surface aforesaid and upon the surfaces of the flues leading to and from such container. The condensate thus produced not only interferes with the transfer of heat from the products of combustion to the water, but includes sulphur derivatives which are extremely corrosive and attack the metal walls of the heater, and forms aprecipitate which clogs the burner orifices.

I have determined in practice that it is possible to initiate the operation of such a heater with production of only a negligible amount of condensation, if the flow of water in the heater in contact with said surface is initially limited to a predetermined rate, which rate is difierent for heaters of different form or capacity, and may be increased with more or less rapidity in accordance with the increment in temperature of the water, as the operation of the heater continues.

Therefore, my invention is designed to control the flow of water through the valve in accordance with the temperature of the water, so that the efiective area of the valve is reduced to the minimum when the water is cold and gradually increased to a maximum as the water is heated to a predetermined temperature. However, my improvedvalve is, of course, adapted for other embodiments and uses than above indicated.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the drawings, Fig. I is an end elevation of a valve structure conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. II is a longitudinal sectional view of said structure taken on the line H, II, in Fig. I.

In said drawings: The valve casing is comvenintly formed of two separable sections 1 and 2 which may be rigidly connected by the screws 3, with the gasket 4 between them.

The section 1 has the inlet 6, conveniently provided with the thread 7 for connection with the pipe 8. Said section 2 has the outlet 9 conveniently provided with the thread 10 for connection with the discharge pipe 11. Said section 1 incloses the bellows chamber 12 in which the bellows 13 is supported with its left hand end in rigid connection with said casing section :1, conveniently by the cross bar 14 in the latter. The opposite, axially movable, end of said bellows 13 is provided with the axial stem 15 which carries the valve 16 which may be a disk of metal or rubber composition supported by the nut 17 engaged with the screw threaded tip 18 of said stem, and normally rigidly holding said valve 16 on said stem.

Said valve is adapted to control the efiective opening of the port 20 in the valve seat 21 which is conveniently formed of a disk removably fitted in said casing section 1 in held by the with a quantity of heat responsive fluid such as alcohol, which quantity may be varied with respect to the capacity of the bellows to determine the degree of temperature at which said bellows shall begin to move axially to shift the valve 16 away from its seat. For instance, a valve of the dimensions shown, when included in a heater of the type claimed in my copending application (6929) Serial No. 384,631 filed August 9, 1929. for Letters Patent of the United States for improvement in gas water heaters, of a capacity of 234.000 B. t. u. may be started in operation with water at 60 'F., supplied through the pipe .8, with said valve 16 off its seat only far enough to permit the passage of water condensate. The interchange of heat in that apparatus is such that the temperature of the water may be gradually raised to 140 F. in about five minutes, and said bellows 13 may be advantageously constructed and arranged to begin to move axially to further open said valve 16 from its seat 21 at the temperature of 140 F. and to further open it, in correspondence with the increment of heat in the water until said valve is wide open at 170 F. Said valve may thereafter remain wide open during the normal operation of the heater but, of course, the movement of the valve is reversed toward its initial position indicated in the drawings if and when the water is permitted to cool, and said valve is restored to the position shown when the temperature of the water falls to less than 140 F.

However, as in the embodiment above contemplated, the water is forcibly circulated by a pump; the average pressure of the water in the system under normal conditions is fifteen pounds per square inch. However, the pressure of the water between the pump and said valve seat 21 is varied in accordance with the position of the valve 16, and, in the initial position shown, in which but SlX gallons per minute are permitted to flow through theport 20, the pressure in the bellows chamber 12 is raised to seventeen pounds per square inch. Of course, any unbalanced external pressure to which said bellows 13 is subjected prevents its operation in accordance with the changes in temperature which it is desired shall control it. For instance, pressure in the chamber 12 external to the bellows 13 retards the movement of the latter in the proportion of about three degrees per pound. That is to say; the extra two pounds pressure in said chamber, produced by the pump when the valve opening is throttled by the valve, as shown, of course tends to collapse the bellows in opposition to the increment of temperature of the water tending to expand it, and with the efiect that instead of beginning its axial movement of said valve 16.to open the latter at 140 F., it would not begin such movement until a temperature of, say 146 F. is reached. Therefore, in order to eliminate such effect of the water pressure upon the thermostatic bellows 13, I provide the bellows 24 in the bellows chamber 25 of the casing section 2. Said bellows 24 is rigidly supported at its right hand end in said casing 2, conveniently by the cross bar 26 in the latter, and is sealed except that it has the breather duct 27 extending to the outer atmosphere, conveniently as a drilled hole from the exterior of said casing 2through said cross bar 26 to the axis of the casing. Said bellows 24 has the stem 28 mcunted to slide in the bearing 29 which is detachably fitted in said casing sec tion 2 in which it is normally rigidly held by said bushing 22 when the casing is closed, as shown. Said stem 28 is in screw threaded connection with said nut 17 so as to be operatively connected with said valve 16 in opposition to the bellows 13; so that external 1 pressure upon the bellows 13 tending to collapse it may be counterbalanced by the same external pressure upon said empty bellows 21 tending to collapse it, in the opposite direction to the collapse of the bellows 12}. order to subject both bellows 1i and 24: to the same pressure of the water, I provide the by-pass 30 which is conveniently a drilled hole in the casing sections 1 and having ports 31 and 32 respectively cmnmunicating with said chambers 12 and I lind it convenient to provide said by-pass 30 with the needle valve screw 34 which is accessible for adjustment when the screw plug 35 is ren'ioved, and which may be set to variably limit the effective area of said by-pass 3U.

Said plug 35 is provided with a washer 36 to seal the joint between it and said casing see tion 1.

The volume of water passing through the valve casing in the direction of the arrows in the drawings is, of course. the aggregate of the flow through the port 20 past the valve 16 and through the by-pass 30, and the provision of the valve 34 permits of variation in that volume without disturbing the adjustment of the nut 15. That is to say; the valve 3-1 permits a micrometer adjustment of the rate of flow of the water through the valve casing in any position of adjustment of the two bellows 13 and 24 with respect to the valve 16.

Moreover, the normal characteristics of said thermostatic bellows 13 may be more or less varied with reference to the position of the valve 16 at any temperature thereof by the relative adjustment of the two bellows 13 and 24 by means of said nut 17 which connects them. That is to say: said bellows 13 may be stressed compressively or tensilely by its connection with said bellows 24 with the effect that it it is placed under compressive stress. its movement to open the valve 16 is retarded, and if it is placed under tensile stress, its axial movement to open sa alve is accelerated.

Furthermore, the fluid stresses which tend to move said valve 16 may be supplemented or opposed, by a spring or springs which may be fixed or variable. For instance, I may provide the bellows 13 with the spring 38, the stress of which may be varied by axial adjustment of the screw 39 which extends thru the cross bar 14 and is provided with the nut 40 by which it may be held in adjusted position. Similarly, I may provide the bellows 245 with the spring 42, the stress of which is variable by axial adjustment of said screw threaded stem 28 in the end of said bellows; said stem being secured in adjusted position by the nut 43.

Of course, the essential elements of the valve structure aforesaid may be mounted in a casing otherwise constructed, and, in fact, I have made embodiments thereof in which the cilising is formed entirely of soldered sheet meta Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications. may be made therein, without departing from the essen-v tial features of my invention, as defined in the a pended claims.

1. In a thermostatically operative valve; the combination with a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and a valve seat between said inlet and outlet containing a port; said seat dividing the interior of said casing into two bellows chalnbers upon respectively opposite sides thereof; a by-pass conduit extending between said chambers independently of said valve port; means adjustable to variably limit the effective area of said bypass; a valve movable in said casing to control the effective area of said port; two bellows mounted in said casing chambers upon respectively opposite sides of said valve seat; means in said casing adapted to rigidly support the ends of said bellows remote from said seat; means operatively connecting the ends ofsaid bellows adjoining said valve with the latter; each of said bellows being collapsible and expansible in the direction of movement of said valve; whereby each of said bellows may be subjected to fluid pres sure exterior thereto, within said casing,tending to collapse said bellows in opposite direc tions; whereby the stresses incidentto such pressure are sustained by the connection between said bellows and the valve, without movement of the latter by such pressure; and means arranged to shift the position of saidvalve in accordance with the temperature within said casing including a heat responsive fluid contained in one of said bellows.

2. A structure as in claim 1; wherein the bellows containingthe heat responsive fluid is sealed and the other bellows interior is open to the atmosphere through a breather duct extending to the exterior of said cas ing; whereby the thermostatic operation of said valve is independent of the temperature of the bellows open to the atmosphere.

3. A. structure as in claim 1; wherein the means connecting the bellows with the valve include a'nut, which is rotatable to relatively adjust the position of said valve withrespect to said bellows. v

4. A structure as in claim 1; wherein the means connecting the bellows with the valve include two separate axially alined stems respectively carried by the movable ends of screw in coaxial relation with a portion of the by-pass, and in combination with means adapted to seal the outer end of that screw t i prevent leakage, including a removable 6. A structure as in claiml; wherein the casing is formed of sections axially separable to afford access to said nut for adjustment thereof.

7. In a thermostatically operative valve; the combination with a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a valve seat between said inlet and outlet containing a port; of a valve movable in said casing to control the effective area of said port; two pressure responsive elements mounted in said casing upon respectively opposite sides of said valve seat, with their exteriors both exposed to the fluid pressure in said casing, and connected with said valve; means excluding the of said pressure responsive elements; where-' by fluid pressure upon said valve is counterbalanced; and a fluid heat responsive element within said casing and within one of said pressure responsive elements in cooperative relation with said valve; whereby said valve is automatically movable in response to changes of temperature of fluid within said casing.

8. In a thermostatically.operative valve; the combination with a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a valve seat between said inlet and outlet containing a port; of a valve movable in said casing to control the effective area of said port; two pressure responsive elements mounted in said casing upon respectively opposite sides of said valve seat and connected with said valve; whereby fluid pressure upon said valve, exterior to said pressure responsive elements, is counterbalanced; and a fluid heat responsive element in one of said pressure responsive ele-' -ments, in cooperatlve relation with said valve; whereby said valve is automatically movable in response to changes of temperature of fluid within said casing; wherein the pressure responsive elements are bellows, and a spring, adapted to modify the effect of the fluid pressure upon said valve, one of said bellows.

9. In athermostatically operative valve;

the combination with a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a valve seat between said inlet and outlet containing a port; of a valve movable in said casing to control the effective area of said port; two pressure responsive elements mounted in said casing upon respectively opposite sides of said valve is inc losed by seat and connected with said valve; whereby fluid pressure upon said valve, exterior to said pressure responsive elements, is counterbalanced; and a fluid heat responsive element 5 inone of said pressure responsive elements, in cooperative relation with said valve; whereby said valve is automatically movable in response to changes oftemperature of fluid within said casing, including two springs adapted to be: variably oppositely stressed to modify'the eflect of the fluid. pres- I sure upon said valve.

10. In a thermostatically operative valve; the combination with acasing having a fluid is inlet and a fluid outlet and a valve seat between said inlet 'a'nd'outlet containing a port; of a valve movable in said casing to control the effective area ofsaid portytwo bellows mounted in said casing upon respectively op- I posite sides of said valve seat and connected with said valve each adapted to exclude from its interior the fluid in said casing; whereby fluid pressure upon said valve tends to collapse both of said-bellows and iscounterbalf 2a a nced; one of said bellows being partof a heat responsive element, contained within said casing, and in cooperative relation with said valve; whereby said valve is automatically' 'mov'ablein response to changes of temperatui'e of fluid within saidcasing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, this 2nd day of January, 1930. -ALOYSIUS T. .SPONAR. 

